Pipe lining machine



April 30, 1946.

A. G. BUTLER PIPE LINING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Shet 1INVENTOR.

BY 72mm,

April f: A. G. BUTLER 2,399,321

' PIPE LINING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1945' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 30,1946. A, G BUTLER 12399321 PIPE LINING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1945 3Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFl-C E .ZBIP-E :LININ GMACHINE Adolf G. 'Butler, "Hawthorne, Califi, assignor ,to

American Time "and Construction "00., Southgate, Calif a corporation ofDelaware Application May .14, 1945, ,Serial N 0. 593,753

4 Claims.

Mypresent invention has to do with apparatus for applying protectivelining or :coatingto the inner wall of a pipe, :finding its chief.utility in the lining withzcementzof pipes which have :been laid inplace .f or such purpose as water :lines and the like.

While devices havebeen proposed :and usedffor lining pipes, so far aslam-aware they :have been of such inherent construction and operationthat there are :rather zserious limitations upon their use and upon thesize of pipeinwhich .they may 7 ment .mix 'by means iii a cart ror otherrcarrier which must approach the machine :from its forward end-in order:not todisturb the zfreshlyxla-id lining. .Thus "within the restrictedconfines-eta pipe line it :is difiicult ;for the :operatorto-move frombetween the cement supply carrier :and the lining machine to-permittransfer of the loadltjo the hopper. Moreover, it 'is very tiring ;.tothe operator to have constantly to assume a stooped or crawlingpositionalong'the-pipe.

Another shortcoming of the ;prior :devices has been the difficultyattending the :assemblingr d disassembling of the machine :within .the:pipe line, :as often becomes necessary :since 'such :devices.requirefrequent cleaning.

Itzi-s one ofythe principal objects of mymresent invention to provide adevice for .lining i-pipes whichis so designed and constructedthatitamay be readily disassembled,cleanedand reassembled without'removingitfrom thepipeline.

Another object'of the invention-is to provide a pipelining device whichis controlled 'by an-operator who .is carriedin a comfortable working2P0- s'ition on the trailing :end of .themachine .without disturbing thefreshly depositedrlining, whereby leaving the forward end of the machine.freel-y accessible for refilling the cement hopper from anarrier.

.Another object is the provisionof a pipeiilining machine which, byvirtue of its d'esignedconstruction and operation, is capable "of beingused in 'pipes of smaller "diameter than heretofore.

Among the more specific objects of the invenwith the pipe being worked.upon, upon which platform theoperatorimayrecline andhave-readily-acc'essible-to himrall the controlsfor'theimachine, whereby"to ,permit operation :of the machine :within relatively small pipewithout disturbing the deposited rlining :before it sets and withoutinterfering with the recharging of the machine withicementmix.

.Another object ;is .the 5DIOViSiOI1 in :such ;a machine:of supportingwheels which .are :individuallypowerzdriv'enrand:controlled;by=a-;pendulumrheostat,therebya'ccomplishmg rautomaticsteering as well :as "renderingritunnecessary to employ zany objectionable .large motors for thepropulsion.

:Another .novel :feature of tiny invention is the improved construction-.of the itrowe'ling element,

By :way of example I :shall .-now describe one of the specific andpresently preferred embodimen ts of my invention .by which I :achievethe above stated objects,:although -I wish .it understood that, within:the broader scope of the invention as defined .by :the appended claims,the invention is capable :of being carried "out :in other physical forms'whichrthegensuing description will suggest to-those workinginthis art.

:For :purposes of the :following description I shall :re'fer to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. "-1 :is ;a side elevation showing the machine mounted within a,pipe .line, thepipe line being shown indongitudinalsection;

.Fig. .-2 isiasection on line 2-2 -of;Fig. *1;

Fig. .3 is an enlarged iragmentar-y longitudinal section offFig. 1,;

Fig. l4iis ansenlarged sectional viewshowingthe' troweling assembly;

Fig. :5 :is a adiagram "showing the wheel-"operatin'g :ci-rcuit and Fig.6115 an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing-thependulum'iswitch.

Referring rnow "to it-he drawings I show in ion gitudinal section at Psapipe 'line'in course of being' lined bymy machine, 1 the troweled'liningbeing shown at land the untrowledfifreshly deposited lining being shownimmediately ahead or to the right of the troweled lining, and themachine being disposed within the pipe. The lining machine is comprisedgenerally of an electric motor I, a gear housing 8 carrying reductiongears, a troweling member 9, a flinger motor III, a flinger I I, a screwconveyor housing I 2 carrying an augur or screw conveyor,.a materialhopper. I5, wheel unit IS. a caster llyand a main drive shaft I9 (Fig.3).

Drive shaft I9, Whose left-hand end is operatively connected to motor I,is journaled in bearings 20, 2I carried by tubular body element 24concentrically nested within a stationary tube 25, the latter beingmounted within a sleeve 21. carrying bearing members 29.

A sleeve 35 rotates on bearings 29 and forms the hub of trowelingelement 9 to be described. Sleeve 35 also carries a ring gear 36rotating within housing 31, the latter being secured to flange 38carried by tube 24.

Meshing with gear 36' there is a gear 40 which is operatively connectedwith shaft I9 by the train of gears denoted individually by the numeralsM, '42, 43, 44, the gear reduction thus efiected being typicallyalthough not necessarily of the ratio 30:5.

The troweling device comprises four pairs of spaced, parallel, radialarms 50 carried by sleeve or hub 35, on the outer ends of which arms therespective trowel-supporting rods 52 are pivotally mounted. On the outerendof each rod thereis pivotally mounted a trowel element 54, and on theopposite side of the pin 52a, by which each rod is pivoted tothe arms,each rod carries a counterweight 55 whichis axially adjustable along therod, being held in adjusted position by set screw 5511. For retractingthe trowels-that is, for withdrawing them from troweling contact withthe pipe-I provide'two cables 56, each of which is fixed on a spindle 51slidably and rotatably carried by a pair of the arms 50 and carries ahand wheel 51a for manual'operation. One end of each cable is fixed to asleeve 58 adjustably carried by one'of the rods 52, the latter sleevebeing held in adjusted position by a set screw 58a. like sleeve 58 on anadjacent rod 52. Thus it will be observed that clockwise rotation of aspindle 51 winds the cable about the spindle and withdraws a pair oftrowels from engagement with the pipe against the pressure of springs 59which urge the trowels against the pipe. locked against rotation in acounterclockwise direction by a detent 51b engaging against a fixed pin51c carried by an arm 50, but may be released for counterclockwiserotation, to allow the trowels to move into engagement with the pipe, bysliding the spindle 51 axially, against compression spring 51d untildetent 51b disengages from pin 510. A sleeve 80 is fixed to tube 25, thesleeve I50 carrying a wire conduit BI and carrying bearing mountingrings 63. 64, the latter carrying ball bearing races 65. Rotatablymounted on the bearings there is the rotor 68 of the fiinger motor I0.The stator 69 of the motor is carried by the sleeve 60 while thearmature I is carried by the rotor.

The finger II is rotatably mounted upon tube 25 and consists of spacedrings 15 between which are disposed a plurality of radial vanes IT, thevanes being circumferentially spaced apart to provide outletopeningstherebetween adapted upon rotation of the fiinger to registerwith outlet slots I8 in the tube 25-as thefiinger rotates relative tothe tube. A screw conveyor 80 operatively secured The other end of eachcable is fixed to a Each spindle is.

to shaft I9 moves plastic cement material from the hopper I5, deliveringit against the curved deflecting collar BI carried by the inner endportion 80a of the conveyor. The fiinger is secured to the rotor of themotor I0 by screws 82 so as to rotate therewith.

The inner or left-hand end of the conveyor shaft 80a isoperativelyconnected to the main drive shaft I9 by. mean of collar 85 which hasbayonet slots 86 into which radial members 88 carried by the conveyorshaft fit. Spring-loaded mud seals 90 are Provided between the conveyorshaft and bearing 9|.

Secured by semi-circular clamp members I00 to the right-hand end portionof tube 25 is the wheel mounting frame I02 carrying a pair of wheelsI04, a pair of D. C. motors I05 and a ear housing I05 carrying gearsdrivingly connecting the respective motors to the respectiv wheels. Acaster I1 is pivotally secured to the hopper member I5, so that theentire machine has a three-point support provided by the wheels I04 andthe caster IT. The wheels I04 are disposed at an angle to each other orradial to the longitudinal axis of the machine, to provide a moreeffective support for the machine and to permit it to roll along thecurved wall of the pipe 5.

For supporting and carrying the operator I p vide a platform H0suspended from the trailing end of the machine by means of rods II 2 andtrunnions I I5. The weight of that portion of the machine to the rightof the trunnions is sunlicient to maintain the platform suspended abovethe surface of the lining L. even with the added weight of an occupantreclining on the platform. The control box C carrying the controls formotors I, I0 and I05 is positioned so as to be accessible to an operatorreclining face down on the platform.

Inasmuch as the machine is rolled longitudi nally along the pipe in thecourse of its operation, it is connected to the A. C. and 13.0.electrical sources outside the pipe by wires I20 carried on a reel I22,the reel being rotatably supported by bracket I23 carried by-theplatform.

A conduit I25 is mounted longitudinally in hollow shafts I9 and a andcarries wire I26 conductively connected to the wheel motors through thependulum rheostat I24. To connect the wire toa source of direct currenta collar l 21 is secured on the left-hand end of shaft I9 and carriesconductor I28 conductively connected by plug I30 to the wire extendingthrough conduit I 25. A brush element I32 connects wire I38 with thesource while a wire I33 is grounded to the body. For operating theflinger motor, alternating current is supplied through wires I35.Conventional electrical connection, not shown, is made to motor I.

The circuit means for energizing and controlling the wheel motors I05 isshown diagrammatically-in Fig. 5. Here the wire I26 leads through theswingable pendulum I 24, rheostat I29 and wires I3I to motors I05. Thus,if the machine should move out of axial alignment with the pipe, it willtilt sidewise due to the curvature of the pipe and the relative speedsof the motors I05 will be automatically varied in opposite senses aswill restore the axial alignment.

The novelty, cooperation and function of the parts will be bestunderstood from the following description of operation of thehereinabove described machine. I

First, the hopper I5 is initially charged with a plastic mix of, forinstance,;Portland cement, through the inlet I5a. Inasmuch as the inlet.I 5a stat.

is unobstructed by any operator positioned between the hopper andfilling truck or carriage, not shown, filling of the hopper is greatlyfacilitated.

Then the operator, reclining on the platform I I0, starts the motor Iwhich rotates the conveyor to move the plastic cement mix from thehopper to the flinger, starts motor It! to operate the flinger, thuscausing the cement mix to be centrifugally thrown by the flinger againstthe inner surface of the pipe. The motor 1 also rotates the trowelingelement 9 to trowel the deposited lining until it presents a smoothsurface. By proper control of the current to the rheostat I29, thedesired speed of travel of the machine is maintained and the machine isautomatically steered in a straight line along the pipe. In other words,if the machine should deviate from such line, it is instantly righted bythe pendulum-actuated rheo- An additional and important advantagederived from the use of individual motor drives for the wheels is thefact that relatively small motors may be used and, when arrangedsymmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the machine, occupy aminimum of space, thus enabling the machine to operate in a smallerdiameter pipe than would otherwise be the case.

The coaxial elements constituting the working parts may be readilydisassembled and reassembled within the pipe since no material part hasto be removed or applied laterally.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for lining pipe walls with a coating of plastic material,comprising a carriage movable longitudinally along th pipe interior, amaterial reservoir, power-operated flinger means on the carriageoperable to centrifugally deposit material on the inner surface of thepipe, feed means for conveying material from the reservoir to thelast-named means, said reservoir having a filling opening at the forwardend of the carriage, power-operated means on the carriage rearwardly ofthe flinger means for troweling the deposited material, control means onthe trailing end portion of the carriage operatively associated withsaid power-operated means, and a man-supporting platform suspended fromthe trailing end of the carriage.

2. In apparatus for lining pipe walls with a coating of plasticmaterial, having a carriage movable longitudinally along the pipeinterior and driven members for depositing and troweling material on thepipe interior, means for supporting an operator comprising a platformadapted to be suspended from the trailing end of the carriage inposition spaced from the deposited and troweled lining, said platformbeing shaped to support a person in reclining position.

3. In apparatus for lining pipe walls with a coating of plasticmaterial, having a carriage adapted to move axially of the pipe andsupported at three points of contact with the pipe by a pivoted casterand a pair of individually motordriven wheels disposed radial to thecarriage; pendulum actuated means for relatively changing the speeds atwhich the wheels are driven in response to' movement of the carriageinto position out of axial alignment with the pipe, and means on thecarriage for depositing plastic material on the inner surface of thepipe.

4. In apparatus for lining pipe walls with a coating of plasticmaterial, having a carriage adapted to move axially of the pipe andsupported at three points of contact with the pipe by a pivoted casterand a pair of individually motordriven wheels disposed radial to thecarriage; pendulum actuated electrical means for relatively changing thespeeds at which the wheels are driven in response to movement of thecarriage into position out of axial alignment with the pipe, and meanson the carriage for depositing plastic material on the inner surface ofthe pipe.

ADOLF G. BUTLER.

